robertson



No'v. 20 1923A 1,474,379

c. A. ROBERTSON SEPARATOR BOWL l CONSTRUCTION Filed Deo. 15, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 20, 1923 UNITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHAR-LES A. ROBERTSON, OF SPRINGFIEELE, LLTNOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MONTGOMERY VIARD & CO., INC., OE CHICAGO, ILLTNOTS, .A COREQRATION 0F ILLINOS.

SEPARATOR-BGXVL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 15,

T0 all whom 'it may concern.'

Be known that l, Ci-.ARLns fr. llonna'rsoN, citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield. in the county ot Sangamon and State et Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in a Separater-Bowl Construction, ot wiich the tollowing` is a specification.

This invention relates generally to liquid separators, and particularly to improvements in the construction ot centrilugal separators designed for separating the components of milk.

The general ypurpose of the invention is the simplification ot the construction of such devices for the purpose of reducing` cost, providing a bowl which may be more readily disassembled and re-assembled tor the purpose ot the necessary cleaning, and one which obviates to the greatest possible degree the deposit or accumulation thereon ot butter fat or other constituents of the liquid treated.

A more specific object of the invention is theprovision of an improved disk as an element of such a device.

Another particular object ol the invention is the provision of an improved separator bowl construction which will obtain improved results in the direction of rapidity and accuracy in the separation of constituents of the treated liquid.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter, indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious upon an understanding of the present disclosure.

ln the accompanying; drawings termina' a part of this specification l have shown one torni in which the invention may be embodied, but it is to be understood that the same is here presented 'for the purpose ot illustration merely and that the structure is susceptible of variation and moditication without departing from the essential tea tures of the invention.

ln the drawings- Fig. l is a lonvitudinal section through my improved separator bowl, the same being* taken on a diameter thereof;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section ot the milk column taken on substantially the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a top View ot one type ot disk;

Fig. l is a side view of the same type oi disk; i

1921. Serial No. 522,675.

nig. 5 is a top view ot the bowl core; and

Fig. G is a side vicw oi the bowl core.

rThe nature oi.' the invention will best be understood by reference to these drawings in detail, from which it will be understood that the numeral l designates the milk column portion oit the bowl shaft, said portion being' of cylindrical tubular 'form and being` provided with longitudinally extending narrow slots ln of which there are three. The upper outer portion of the shaft l is screwlthreadcd and int-o the upper end is pressed a steel bushing 2. rlhe lower extremity of the column l terminates at and is integral with a trusto-conical base fl formed with step or shouldered portion t and with a pin seat 5 indented from its bottom face. rlhe longitudinal bore ot the tubular member .l is closed by a plug G which is pressed into the same to form a liquid tight. joint and suitably retained. rllhis plug forms a closure for the bore olf the tubular column member at the lower extremities of the slots la. The plug 6 is slotted out to form a retaining` seat 6a for the bowl spindle. Below the foot member 4; the shaft continues as a tubular extension 8 which is externally screw threaded for reception of a clan'ipingr nut 9, while a bronze bushing' l0 is pressed into the tubular extension to a point where its upper end contacts the lower tace ot the plug' (i. Seated in the toot member l so as to protrude at the step or shouldered portion la is a positioning pin 11. The shaft just described is adapted to be seated on the upper extremity of the bowl spindle ot the separator actuating' mechanism in the customary fashion, said spindle having` a terminal lug which is adapted to lit in the seat G to secure the shaft to the spindle for rotation thereby. The bowl base 12 is a circular pressed member having; an annular upwardly opening `groove l2 adjacent its periphery, and an upwardly extending lue' adapted to dt in the seat 5 to retain the base tor rotation with the core. The base is secured. in place on the column by means ot the clampinn1 nut 9 which clamps it against the lower tace et the toot 4,

Upon the tubular column l is mounted the bowl core lll, the construction of which is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The design oit' this member is such that it may be pressed out of sheet metal in general tubular form with a body-portion adapted to lit concentrically upon the tubular member 1, and a llaring base portion 14a adapted to lit upon the upper portion ol the toot member l and seat with its lower margin in the step ll, This flaring base portion is provided with a notch la arranged to receive the protruding portion of the pin 11, whereby the core is retained ior rotation with the shalt. .las best illustrated in Fig. 6, the tubular body portion ol? the core member has radially projecting lugs lllC extending longitudinally thereo'lc from the flaring portion llla to the other extremity of the member. Certain ol these lugs are provided with outwardly extending longitudinal ribs 15 which may be pressed, or formed by soldering a wire along one margin ol the lugs. These lugs, fur thermore, are provided with longitudinal slots 16 in their outer faces, said slots being disposed to one side of the median line ot the lugs. The arrangement ot the core upon the column 1, as determined by the location ot the pin 11 and not-ch 1st", is such that the slots 16 are offset trom the slots 1, in the fashion illustrated in F ig. 2. The core 'l/l ailiords a retentive mounting Yfor the separator disks. rl`hese disks which are illus trated in Figs. 1, 3 and are bowl shaped members `with concentric axial openings. There are two types ol these disks, the disks ot one type being designated by the numeral 17 and the disks oi? the ther type by the numeral 18, and illustrated respectively in Figs. 2 and 8. These disks may be formed from suitable sheet metal by press ing operations which shape them with peripheral flanges, disk spacing embossments 19, positioning notches 2O and flow notches 21, the disks are ot identical form, being` ot Vfrusto-conical shape with central apertures sulticient to permit their passage over 'hc core 14.- when the positioning notches 20 are so placed as to receive vthe positioning ribs 15. The spacing embossmcnts 19 are formed as slightly upstrurk protuberances in the sloping portions ot the disks without severing them at any point from the body ot the metal in which they are iler-med. rl`he arrangement of' these spacing embossmcnts is such that those on any disk will overlie the cmbossments on all olf the disks below it when the disks are nested on the core 1.4i-, 'l'here are two forms ot these disks, the re spective 'forms dillering only in the Yform of these embossments. ln a complete set ot thirtf.r three disks, the odd numbered disks., (17 in all) are embossed so that the long axis o1" each embossment is parallel. to the contour element of the disk, as illustrated in Fig 3. lVhile in the s' 'teen even numbered disks the embossments are arranged with their longitudinal axes at a ninety 'degle angle to the longitudinal axes ci the correspondiuglyv placed embossments onthe edd: numbered dista The Spotting cf embossxnents is such that the center lines of correspondingly placed einbossmeuts coincide on all ot' the disks. As a result, when the disks are nested upon the core, the

odd and even numbered disks being placed thereon alternately, the embossments will be effective to space the surfaces ot juntaA posed disks apart by the height of the embossinents, affording narrow flow spaces for movement ole liquid between them, and.l due to the center spotting oii all oit the embossments, they will afford supporting columns throughout the series oit disks. These spacing embossinents arel preferably arranged in two series n nich are at ditlerent radial distances `from the cen ot the disks. The location ot the inner series is such that the embossments will overlie the truste-conical foot portion e, while the location of the outer series is such that the embossments therein will overlie a portion of the base plate 12. The embossments 1.9 are formed with sloping sides which merge into the surface contour of the disks with a curved bend, rather than with an angular junction, thereby eliminating crevices at these points which ordinarily gather deposits from the liquid handled and are diflicult to clean.

The bowl shell 22 is a hollow member ot part truste-conical and part cylindrical lorm and seats at its larger extremity in the groove ot' the base member 12, packing 24 being arranged to form a liquid tight joint, and a pin 25 fixed in the shell being seated in a notch 26 in the rim ot the base member 12, to maintain the two against relative rotation. The upper extremity of the bowl shell extends as a neck alongside the column member 1, and is secured to the upper end of said member by means of a nut 27 screw seated on the latter and engaging the upper marginal port-ion Ot the shell to space it from the column and to press the shell me1nbor against the base plate. The shell member, in conjunction with the base plate 12 and column 1 enclose the disks and the core member, with a clearance between the inner wall of the shell and the margins o'l the disks and between the shell and the column member 1. Above the uppermost disk ot the series is imposed the cream conc 28, th-e loweT portion et which is :flaring so as to lit over the uppermost disk, and the ripper portion ot1 which is tubular so as to encompass the column member 1 with a clearance between the two. Fins 29 disposed at intervals about the sloping portion et the crea-m cone constitute spacers which Contact the inner wall ot the bowl shell and press the cone down into contact with the' disks, serv-- ing also to space the cone away from .the bowl shell. The upper portion of the cream cone is provided with a cream outlet 30 which discharges through an aperture in the entire neck of the bowl shell,while the space between the bowl shell and the cream cone communicates with a skimmed milk outlet 31 through the neck of the former.

The operation of the device is similar t-o that of separators of this general type, the bowl being mounted upon the spindle and rotated at a high speed, the unseparated liquid is fed into the bore of the column l, whence it finds outlet through the slots 1a into the distribution columns afforded by the internal form of the core lugs 14C. From these distribution columns the liquid finds exit through the slots 16 to the space between the disks. Under the action of centrifuga-l force the heavier constituents of the liquid are moved outwardly between the disks and the lighter constituents displaced inwardly. The latter rise through the spaces 32 between the series of disks and the core member and through the neck of the cream cone, whence they are discharged through the outlet 30. The heavier constituents of the liquid rise in the space between the peripheries of the disks and the bowl shell, and on the exterior of the cream cone 28 until they find outlet through the aperture 31.

The construction above described contains many advantages which contribute to economy in the production of the apparatus. All of the parts may be constructed without the use of solder, which is of material advantage from the standpoint of durability and from the standpoint of cleanliness, due

' to the fact that soldered connections frequently become leaky and permit the ingress of liquid to places where it cannot be readily cleaned out. The construction of the spacing elementsfor the disks provides continuous supporting columns between the base plat-e 12 and the cream cone 28 through which the compression from the latter is exerted to maintain the disks in proper relationship. At the same time the zones of contact between the superposed disks are such as not to interfere with the movement of the constituents of the liquid induced by the operation of the device. The actual areas in contact are much less than in constructions heretofore, affording additional space for the movement of the liquid constituents. The form of the core, and the association of the core slots 16 with the slots ifL of the milk column are such as to effect a distribution of the unseparated liquid throughout the entire height of the series of disks so that all of the intervening spaces are supplied and the device may operate at maximum etliciency at all times. The rotary movement of the bowl causes the liquid in the distribution channels to tend to bank up against the rearward radial walls of the ribs 14C. Consequently, by disposing the outlet slots 16 adjacent these walls the discharge of the liquid from the distribution channels is facilitated, and no closed spaces are afforded wherein milk might be pocketed. The base plate, disks, core, cream cone and shell all may be made by pressing operations, leaving the bowi shaft and the nuts as the only parts requiring lathe work. The structure is readily dismantled for cleaning, rendering all parts thereof easily accessible.

.l claim:

1. In. a device of the class described the combination of a tubular shaft member having a foot portion of frusto-conical form adjacent vone extremity thereof. the wall of said member being provided with lougitudinal slots above said font portion, a base plate secured against the under face of said foot portion, a tubular core member encompassing the slotted part of said shaft member and having a fiaring lower extremity adapted to iit on the footlportion, said core member affording lateral apertures for egress of Huid, a series of disks of frustoconical form encompassing said core member and disposed in superposed relationship with the lower disks of the series encompassing said foot portion,'said disks being spaced apart so as to aiford passage of fluid therebetween, and a shell cooperating with lsaid base plate to enclose said disks.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of atubular shaft member having a frusto-conical foot portion, a base plate secured against the lower face of said foot portion, said shaft being vprovided with lateral apertures above said foot portion, a tubular core member encompassing the apertured portion of said shaft and having a liared lower part fitting upon said foot portion, said core member affording vertical channels communicating with the lateral apertures in the shaft, said core member being provided with lateral apertures offset circumferentially from the apertures of the shaft and affording outlet from said channels, a series of disks of frusto-conical form encompassing said core member. said disks being arranged in superposed relationship with spaces therebetween communicating with the outlet apertures of the core member. the lowermost disk of the series con- 115 tacting said foot portion of the shaft, superposed; disks having` limited areas of contact with subjacent disks, a shell rooperating with said shaft and base plate to enclose the disks and core, and spacing means cooperating with said shell to transmit pressure through the series of disks to said foot por tion.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a tubular shaft member, said member being provided with lateral apertures, a tubular core member encompassing the apertured portion of said shaft member, said core member affording longitudinal channels communicating with the apertures of the Shaft member, Said shaft and Core members` being Connected for rotaion iegether, elle channel portions of Said eore member being lirovided with .long-itudinal slots forming lateral apertures which lare offset eireum'lierential-ly from elle shall;

apertures, and 'a 'plurality of superposed disks encompassing Said eore member with Spaces between them communicating; with said aperiuree in the core member.

4. lin a device of the class described the ,ombination of tubular central member provided with lateral outlets, a eore member encompassing said eentral member over said outlets, said eore member providing;r longitudinal distribution ehannele communicating' with Said outlets and having lateral Walls extending away from said eenrral member, said core member being provided with longitudinal Slots forming outlets from said distribution channels, which outlets are dispoeed adjacent Certain of Said side Walls. i

5. lu a device el? the Class described the combination of atubular Central member and a tubular more member` encompassing die same, Said core member being shaped to provide longitudinal distribution channels extending` alongside said central membere lille lateral wall portions ol which extend away from the wall of the centra-l member7 said Central member being provided with outlets discharging into said disributio'n channel adjacent certain of said side Walls, and said core member being provided with discharge outlets communicating with Said ioution channels adjacent others of Said side Walls.

In tesimony whereof I have hereunto Signed my name.

CHARLES a. ROBERTSON. 

